At least 49 people reportedly died and another 30 were injured in a fire during an alleged prison break in western Colombia on Tuesday.
The tragedy occurred in the the local prison of Tulua, a city in the Valle del Cauca province, Blu Radio reported based on claims by prison authority INPEC and the local fire department.
President Ivan Duque expressed his solidarity to the families of the victims and said he had ordered investigations to clarify what happened.
We regret the events that occurred in the prison of Tulua, Valle del Cauca. I am in contact with the director of the INPEC, General Tito Castellanos, and have given instructions to carry out investigations to clarify this terrible situation. My solidarity with the families of the victims.
President Ivan Duque
According to the radio station, the tragedy happened between 1AM and 2AM after inmates allegedly set fire to their matrasses while prison guards tried to thwart a prison break.
Some 200 people were being held in the ward where the fire broke out, the radio station reported based on claims by Colombia’s prison authority.
According to Blu Radio, INPEC said that many who died burned to death while the bodies of others showed signs of violence.
Some 50 people who were injured in the fire were taken to medical centers in Tulua, the local fire department told the radio station.
We have verified that many mattresses were burned, and so far about 50 people have been taken to medical centers.
Tulua fire department spokesperson
The tragedy in Tulua would be the worst since 2020 when 24 inmates were allegedly murdered in an attempt to quell a protest in Bogota’s La Modelo prison.
Three former prison guards were charged in February for their alleged use of torture in the aftermath of this massacre.
According to Colombia’s Constitutional Court, prison authorities are permanently violating the human rights of inmates, of which one third has not been convicted of a crime.
